Biography
Von Miller was an American athlete and football player born in Dallas, Texas on March 26, 1989. The son of two former high school and college athletes, Miller attended DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas, where he received recognition as a defensive football player. Upon graduating in 2007, he received offers from schools such as Florida, Ole Miss, and Texas Tech, but decided to attend Texas A&M University. There, he continued his football career to great success. In his final season as a senior, Miller won the Butkus Award as the nation's top college football defensive player, and was named a consensus All-American. He also majored in poultry science, a skill he uses to this day as the operator of his own chicken farm. Miller was drafted second overall by the Denver Broncos in 2011, which was the highest selected linebacker in the NFL draft since 2000. Miller wore number 58 in honor of his favorite football player, Derrick Thomas, and made his NFL debut as an outside linebacker in a September 12, 2011 game against the Oakland Raiders. Denver lost, but Miller quickly gained media attention for his skills. He was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year and was selected as a Pro Bowl player for the first of five times. Miller's 2013 was an eventful and controversial one, as he was suspended for six games at the start of the season for attempting to cheat on a drug test. He was also arrested in August for failing to appear for driving-related charges from October 2012, and cited for speeding in Colorado. The unfortunate endcap to the year was his torn ACL injury, which took him out of the rest of the season. The Broncos would go on to play in the Super Bowl, but lost to the Seattle Seahawks. Miller worked through recovering from his injury throughout the 2014 season, and in the 2015 season, helped lead the Broncos to victory over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. He was named Super Bowl MVP, and became the highest paid defensive player in NFL history at the beginning of the 2016 season. Miller founded his own charity, Von's Vision, in 2012 in order to provide Denver-area youth with eye examinations and wear. Miller also competed in season 22 of "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005-) alongside partner Witney Carson, and finished in eighth place.
